Side Impact Sensor - Installation

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, occupant classification system, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, never strike or drop the side impact sensor, as it can damage the impact sensor or affect its calibration. The side impact sensor enables the system to deploy the side curtain supplemental restraints. If an impact sensor is accidentally dropped during service, the sensor must be scrapped and replaced with a new unit. Failure to observe this warning could result in accidental, incomplete, or improper front supplemental restraint deployment.

NOTE: Side impact sensors are used only on models equipped with the optional side curtain airbags.

Fig 1: Installing Side Impact Sensor

Courtesy of MITSUBISHI MOTOR SALES OF AMERICA.

Position the side impact sensor (3) near the floor panel (4) below the right or left outboard front seat adjuster riser.
Reconnect the body wire harness connector (1) to the sensor connector receptacle.
Carefully position the sensor onto the floor panel. Be certain that the anti-rotation pin on the back of the sensor is engaged in the center clearance hole of the floor panel and the arrow on the sensor label is pointed toward the outboard side of the vehicle.
Install and tighten the two screws (2) that secure the sensor to the inner B-pillar. Tighten the screw to 8 N.m (75 in. lbs.).
Restore the floor carpet over the side impact sensor on the floor panel to the right or left front door opening sill (5).
Reinstall the scuff plate trim onto the right or left front door opening sill. (Refer to INSTALLATION ).
Do not reconnect the battery negative cable at this time. The supplemental restraint system verification test procedure should be performed following service of any supplemental restraint system component. (Refer to SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINTS VERIFICATION TEST ).